The study, by Christiane Drechsler, MD, PhD, of University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, and colleagues included 1,000 diabetic HD patients, of whom 78.1% had euthyroidism, 13.7% had subclinical hyperthyroidism, 1.6% had subclinical hypothyroidism, and 5.4% had euthyroid sick syndrome.

Compared with patients who had euthyroidism, those who had subclinical hyperthyroidism and euthyroid sick syndrome had a 2.0 times and 2.7 times increased short-term (within 12 months) risk of sudden cardiac death, respectively, according to a report in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (2014;63:988-996).

Results showed that euthyroid sick syndrome was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of short-term mortality, but no increased risk in the long term (2-4 years). Subclinical hypothyroidism was not associated with cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality. Thyroid disorders had no meaningful effect on the risks of myocardial infarction and stroke.

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“Regular assessment of thyroid status may help estimate the cardiac risk of dialysis patients,” the researchers concluded.